Field
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program. More particularly, the present invention relates to an information processing apparatus for storing data on a storage device.
Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses equipped with a hard disk drive (HDD) have been known. Various kinds of data as well as programs can be stored on the HDD. In such image forming apparatuses, when HDD failure occurs, there is a risk that the data stored on the HDD may be lost. In such a case, depending on the data, the data stored on the HDD cannot be easily restored. For example, user setting values are individually set and frequently rewritten by each user. Consequently, if the user setting values stored on the HDD cannot be read, it is difficult to restore the user setting values. Similarly to the user setting values, if device setting values stored on the HDD cannot be read, it is also difficult to restore the device setting values. On the HDD, in the event of failure in a storage area other than the storage area which stores the user setting values and the device setting values, replacement of the HDD may also cause loss of the user setting values and the device setting values. Such problems may arise in other storage devices besides the HDD.
Moreover, if an encryption function for encrypting writing data on a HDD is enabled, the data that has already been written on the HDD without encryption cannot be read. If the encryption function is disabled, the encrypted data cannot be used without a decryption function. Consequently, it may become impossible to use the data that has been already stored on the HDD before the encryption function is enabled or disabled. Such a problem may arise in any storage media that can have the encryption function as well as the HDD.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-46685 discloses a technique for writing data in a plurality of HDDs in parallel. When failure occurs in one of the HDDs, from the normal HDD, the difference between the data written to the failed HDD and the data written to the normal HDDs is restored onto the recovered HDD. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-96083 discloses a technique for saving data when power supply is turned off, and restoring the saved data after power is supplied.
According to the techniques, however, processing load will increase when data is written in a plurality of HDDs, and areas storing the data will also increase. Moreover, if data is saved when HDD failure occurs, and the data is internally rewritten in the HDD after the data is saved, mismatch may occur between the last stored data when power supply is turned off, and the saved data.